Cassville in Missouri is a small conservative town that was thrust into the spotlight when for the 2022/23 school year its school board reinstated corporal punishment after more than a twenty-year absence. The district's decision received a great deal of media coverage (much of it inaccurate) across the United States, and even overseas.
The Discipline Grid in the 2022/2023 Student Handbook for Cassville High School
(grades 9 through 12) reflects the careful attention the high-school administrators gave to deciding which student offenses now merit corporal punishment, if the parents provide written authorization.
For a third offense of bus misconduct, students may receive three detentions or a paddling. For a fourth such offense, they may be suspended from riding the bus for five days, or get paddled.
For a second offense of cheating, students may be assigned one to three days of ISS, or receive a paddling. For a second offense of computer misuse, they will lose their computer privileges for 10 days and receive ISS, or a paddling. For a third such offense, students will lose their computer privileges for 20 days and receive ISS, or a paddling. For a fourth such offense, students will lose their computer privileges for at least 20 days and up to the rest of the year and receive ISS, or a paddling. For a third offense of violating their Chromebook care responsibilities, students may receive three detentions, or a paddling. For a fourth such offense, students may receive one to three days of ISS, or a paddling.
For a second offense of classroom disruption or disorderly conduct, students may be assigned three detentions, or receive a paddling. For a third such offense, they may be assigned one to three days of ISS, or receive a paddling. For a second offense of inappropriate language or gestures, the student will be assigned three detentions, or a paddling. For a third such offense, the student will be assigned three to five days of ISS, or a paddling.
For a second offense of disrespect or defiance, students will receive five days of ISS, or a paddling. For a third such offense, they will receive three days of OSS, or a paddling.
For a second offense of lack of effort, the student will receive three to five detentions, or a paddling. (It is quite unusual in US schools for "Lack of effort" to be specifically laid down as a spankable transgression.)
For a second offense of leaving the classroom without permission, students may be assigned three detentions, or receive a paddling. For a third such offense, students may be assigned one to three days of ISS, or receive a paddling. For a second offense of skipping detention, the student will serve one day of ISS, or be paddled. For a third such offense, the student will serve three days of ISS, or be paddled.
For a second offense of using, selling or possessing any tobacco product or e-cigarettes, the product will be confiscated and the student will receive three day of OSS and thereafter also have to serve three days of ISS or be paddled. The same is true for a third such offense, except the OSS days are increased to five and students whose parents do not authorize them to receive a paddling will also serve five days of ISS.
For a third offense of public displays of affection, both of the students involved will serve three detentions, or receive a spanking.
Corporal punishment will not be available for a first offense, with two exceptions: students who intentionally damage or destroy property will have to pay for the damage plus receive detention, ISS or OSS, or a paddling on a first offense. The "Corporal Punishment Option" is also available for a first offense of verbal abuse of a school employee, as an alternative to 1 to 180 days of OSS.
Enrollment. As of 9 September 2022, enrollment at Cassville High School was 176 students in grade 9, 178 students in grade 10, 141 students in grade 11, and 137 students in grade 12.
Spanking as a service. In response to criticism that reinstating the paddle is "a step back in time," Superintendent Merlyn Johnson said in this September 2022 news item, "We live in a society that believes every step forward is a good step forward, just because it was a new step. If that philosophy goes on long enough, we lose our way .... Some of the strategies we discontinue along the way are worth revisiting; but in a new light with better wisdom .... We brought corporal punishment back, not only to offer more options to hardworking parents who count on us, but to also start having conversations about how discipline is a service we provide just like structure, teaching, lessons, warmth, community, and all the other services of the school. This action is a return to the idea that everything we do in a school is a public service in some way... even discipline." (Emphasis added.)
The idea that spankings can be of service to students, their classmates, their family, and their community echoes some of the comments that Pampa (Texas) High School students made when they were surveyed about whether their school should bring back spanking, e.g., "I personally feel that it is an efficient, character-building influence to more controlled behavior", "I bet half of kids would stop acting the way they do if we had spankings here at Pampa High School and teachers would get the respect they deserve", and "Let's get spanked, it would be better for the community".
Student protest. More than 100 Cassville High School students formed a group, Students Against Abusive Policies, to protest the "demeaning" return of corporal punishment. One news item quoted Audrey Goutney, a 17-year-old student whose parents signed the form to authorize her to be paddled by her principal if necessary: "As a student that has not consented at all and never will to an adult man -– when I'm almost 18 –- spanking me, it is a traumatic experience for me not just as a child but as a woman". (The student body president urged students not to protest spanking but some did anyway.) It seems Ms Goutney's real quarrel is not so much with the school district as with her parents, for opting her into the CP program against her own wishes. There appears to be no indication as to how school administrators would resolve this kind of conflict between student and parent. But it may be a somewhat theoretical question: in practice it is hard to imagine them trying to forcibly paddle a 17-year-old who strenuously opposes the procedure on principle.
History. Before the district abandoned corporal punishment in about 2001, the Cassville High School Handbook provided: "Corporal punishment is an option available to students and is administered by the Principal or Assistant Principal. It is not an assigned form of punishment, but is commonly requested by students or parents as an alternative to after-school detention. Students who choose corporal punishment must sign a form before punishment is administered stating they choose corporal punishment rather than serving detention. Corporal punishment may be chosen up to six (6) times per semester. Parents who prefer their child not receive corporal punishment should notify the Principal's office in writing. Corporal punishment is administered in the principal or assistant principal's office immediately following the dismissal bell and a certified faculty member is always present as a witness."
There are several differences between that old version and the new handbook, read together with the new District Policy JGA-1. CP at Cassville has gone from being something students themselves could "request" (by signing a form), provided the parent has not opted out of it, to a procedure requiring parents to "obtain an opt-in form from the central office" if they want to authorize paddling for their student -- whether once and for all or separately on each occasion is not entirely clear. Also, the current documentation sets no limit on the number of times per semester a student may choose to be spanked. Nor does it specify at what time of day the paddling is to be administered.
Other schools in the district. All the above relates to the High School. The handbook for the Middle School (grades 6 through 8) contains broadly similar CP provisions with a few differences of detail; for instance, it makes no mention of an offense of Lack of Effort. The Intermediate School (grades 3 through 5) and the Elementary School (grades K-2) also provide CP for certain offenses, if chosen by the parents.
Corporal punishment in US schools -- illustrated overview